1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for registering a modification pattern of a transmission image in which, in order to enhance the amusement aspect during communication between communication devices such as mobile telephones each having an image display unit, a large number of modification patterns which are used in modifying a transmission image such as an image photographed or captured by the other party in communication including an image of a person being displayed on the image display unit and which include image information such as a modification image to be displayed after having been composed with the transmission image, voice information, a program for reproducing the image and voice information, for example for composing the modification image with the transmission image, and a program for processing the transmission image, are registered, for example, in a database at a relay center of a communication network through which communication devices are operatively connected or in a memory of a communication device such that a person in communication can freely use the modification patterns.
The present invention also relates to a method and apparatus for reproducing a modification pattern of a transmission image with which a registered modification pattern is reproduced in an image display unit of a communication device or in an image display device at a relay center, for example after having been composed with a transmission image for modification.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, as image supplying devices for providing an image for appreciation, there are a photograph (print) for reproducing a still picture, a movie (a projector and a screen) and a television (TV: Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)) for reproducing an image in the form of a moving picture, and the like. In recent years, a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a plasma display have been developed as image display devices, such as a television and a monitor of a computer, for displaying a moving picture or a still picture, and various image display devices such as an electronic paper have been also developed as image display devices for a still picture. In addition, at the present time, the above-mentioned various image display devices can display not only an image such as a moving picture or a still picture but also character information.
Then, recently, these image display devices, in particular, LCDs are utilized not only as a simple monitor for televisions or computers, but also as an image display unit for cameras, telephones, various communication equipment, domestic electric appliances, other household products, or industrial products because those of various sizes have become available.
In addition, an image capturing apparatus such as a video camera, a digital camera, or a digital video movie, or communication equipment such as a fixed telephone, a portable telephone, a visual telephone, a mobile telephone, a movable telephone, or a mobile visual telephone is adapted to take therein voice together with an image and character information, and also is adapted to display the image and character information taken in the above-mentioned image display unit.
In particular, some of the mobile telephones each having an image display unit have an image capturing function and are adapted to display an image of a person in communication on an image display unit of the mobile telephone of the other party in communication during the call or character communication between the mobile telephones concerned.
However, while the above-mentioned conventional image capturing apparatus or communication equipment can capture an image, carry out communication, communicate character information, and also communicate and record voice as well, it simply reproduces the taken-in voice data in the form of voice as it is. Also, it aims at reproducing the captured image or the received image or character information as it is as faithfully as possible, and hence there is a problem in that no amusement aspect is taken into consideration at all.